Can I Upload a Document to Scrivener

If you're a writer who has been writing for a bit, there's a amend than average take a chance you've been using a word processor like Microsoft Word as a writing tool.  Switching to Scrivener (or any other writing platform) can feel daunting when you consider transferring what y'all have over to that new platform.

Heck, I started writing on an former transmission typewriter.  When I converted to i of the first electronic word processors (essentially an electronic typewriter with a monitor and floppy disc drive for storage), the idea of retyping everything was a huge barrier.  (then I congenital my outset PC box and eventually bought a re-create of Give-and-take for DOS, then Windows and Word for Windows, etc. and so on.)

Earlier I get into the nitty gritty, just a quick personal history – I became less and less enamored with Discussion starting around 2006.  I still used it, simply I didn't similar it.  As I moved back into the Mac world and abroad from PC, I notwithstanding used Word, simply found myself increasingly using Mac's very simple Text Edit instead.  Information technology worked improve with browsers and I was pushing stuff out on the weblog a lot back then and copy/paste from Word tended to intermission things.  Anyhow, by the time I jumped onboard with Scrivener, I had a overnice mix of Discussion and Text Edit files sitting on my HD.

I bought a MacBook Pro equally my 'dedicated writing car', installed Scrivener, did Not install Give-and-take, and started playing around.  To 'import' Word files, I would upload them to Google Docs, open them, select all, copy, open Scrivener, and paste.

This was, my friends, stupid.

Little did I realize, Scrivener natively imports Word and a slew of other formats – EVEN IF You DON'T HAVE THE PROGRAMS INSTALLED!

Yes.  Absurd, right?

So.  How do you import your Word Docs?

File > Import > Then Cull from the list:

Import to Scrivener

When you click 'Files', you are presented with your normal Browse for a File window.  Just navigate to your Word Doc and select it.  When you do, you'll see this warning that your file volition be converted to RTF as it's imported:

Warning! Alarm! Conversion, Will Robinson!

The thing to retrieve is that information technology isn't irresolute your Word Doc – information technology'due south just converting it into something that plays nice Within of Scrivener – your original file remains untouched.

One time it's done, your Word Doc is now bachelor as a Scene or Text Document in your binder.  In my example below, I imported it direct into my Chapter Folder so it became a scene inside that Affiliate:

Evermist! Poor Eli doesn't get much love these days…

In one case imported, y'all can do lots of things – the Physician is now office of your project.  Annihilation you can practice with a native Scene/slice of Text, you can practice with this.  Including breaking it up into Scenes, Chapters, etc.

Converted Discussion Physician to Scrivenings

In the above example, I changed the formatting to the default Project Formatting, then I used Command K to split up the slice into 6 Scenes within the Chapter (insert your mouse bespeak where you desire to split the text into a new Scene, then hold Command and hit K – now you've split the scene. Move to the side by side suspension and repeat to quickly split a long slice of text down into more manageable chunks.).  I also moved my previous Scenes into a new Chapter two Folder.

Supported Formats Scrivener volition Import:

• RTFD (rich text format directory) A proprietary Apple rich text format unremarkably used by Mac Cocoa applications.
• RTF (rich text format) The universal rich text standard.
• Dr. & DOCX (Microsoft Word format).
• ODT (Open Document Text).
• TXT (obviously text).
• FDX(FinalDraft8+format).
• FCF (Final Typhoon 5–7 File Converter Format).
• OPML (Outline Processor Markup Language).
• .indexcard (Alphabetize Card for iPad files).
• No extension. Documents with no extension go imported into Scrivener equally obviously text files (note that this can often be a source of confusion – if you lot try to import an RTF or Physician file that has no extension, when yous import it into Scrivener you volition see all of the raw code because information technology will be imported as plain text.).
• Likewise equally these text file types, Scrivener besides supports all of the main prototype file types (TIF, JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP etc), all of the main QuickTime audio/visual formats (MOV, MPG, WAV, MP3 etc), PDF files, HTML, and .webarchive file types for importing saved web pages from Safari and other Mac applications that support it.

More Scrivener Tips coming (every Mon?)!

Don't have Scrivener?  You can endeavour it free hither (no, I don't get paid for pointing y'all at them!).

~P

About Patrick Hester

Patrick Hester is a two-time Hugo Honor winner, the author of INTO THE Fire, book 1 of an urban fantasy series fix in Denver, producer, host and co-founder of The Functional Nerds podcast, and the one-time host and producer of the SF Indicate podcast.

westmorly2002.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.atfmb.com/2012/02/20/scrivener-quick-tip-importing-from-word/

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